Safety-elevator



No. 610,211. Patented Sept. 6, I898.

E. W.'WEST.

SAFETY ELEVATOR.

(Application flak). 24, 1898.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets8heet I.

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N0. 610,2". Patented 88M. 6, I898. EwW. WEST.

SAFETY ELEVATOR.

Application flled Feb. 24, 1898.) I (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' No. (110,211. Patented Sept. 6. i898. 1 E. W. WEST.

SAFETY ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 24, 1898.) I (N0 Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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N0. 610,2". Patented Sept. 6, I898. E. W. WEST. SAFETY ELEVATOR.

(Applicaticn filed Feb. 24, 1898.)

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(vain/asset s. Elmer??? Patented Sept. 6, I898.

E. W. WEST.

SAFETY ELEVATOR. (Application filed Feb. 24. 1898.)

7 SheetsSheet 5.

(No Model.)

Patented Sept. 6, I898.

E. W'. WEST. SAFETY ELEVATOR.

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N0. 6l0,2ll. Patented Sept. 6, I898.

' E. W. WEST.

SAFETY ELEVATOR.

(Applicatim filed: Feb. 24, 1898.)

(N0 Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 7.

llvrrnn STATES PATENT Er ca.

ERNEST VVINTON WEST, OF GLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK.

SAFETY-ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,211, datedSeptember 6, 1898.

Application filed February 24, 1898. Serial No. 671,459. (No model.)

drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in side elevation of my improvedelevator, partly in vertical section and with parts of some of thebraces broken away. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar elevations with the braceswholly removed and showing movements of parts of the stop mechanism.Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the broken line 4 4 inFig. 2.Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the broken line 5 5 in Fig. 2. Fig.6 is a vertical central section taken on the broken line 6 6 in Fig. 4.Fig. 7 is a vertical central section taken at right angles to the planeof the section shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Fig.7, showing movements of parts, a portion of the apparatus being brokenaway.

The elevator-shaft is rectangular in horizontal section and is providedin each of the four corners with an upright guide-post A, supported inany known manner by the shaftinclosing framework. (Not shown.) Whendesired, the posts may be additionally secured on two opposite sides bydiagonal plates A or horizontal plates A or both, secured to the postsby bolts A The car B has a roof B, which projects on the four sidesoutinto the spaces between the guide-posts, forming the four guideprojections B as seen in Fig. 4. The car is supported by the subjacentplatform B having similar guide projections B as seen in Fig. 5, so thatthe car is guided by the projections on its roof and similar projectionson the independent supporting-platform.

Between the bottom of the car and the platform are interposed thecushion-springs 13 preferably one coil in each corner, and the bolts B,one bolt passing from the car-bottom through eachspring and loosely downthrough the platform, where they are secured by the nuts B which formstops to limit the upward movement imparted to the car by the springs.When the weight of the car and its load compresses the springs, thebolts are forced down wardly through the platform.

As a means for raising the platform and car I provide a yoke C over theroof of the car with a hoisting-pulley O, which may be connected bycable 0 with any known form of motor. (Not shown.) The yoke is providedwith depending arms 0 which loosely pass, respectively, down throughopenings in two opposite sides of the roof projections and the platformprojections, as seen in Figs. 4, 5, and 7. The yoke-arms are preferablymade up of a plurality of sections, as will be hereinaftermoreparticula'rlysetforth. Thelower ends of the arms are each provided witha projection or supporting-bracket G which engages the bottom of theplatform to support the same, as seen in Fig. 1. The lower ends of thearms also support the cross-rod or pivot C beneath the platform,crossing from one side of the platform to the opposite side. The ends ofthis cross-rod form each a pivotal support for the joint of a toggleconnection 0 between the rod and two other cross-rodsOf", oppositelydisposed and parallel with the intermediate rod 0 The oppositelydisposed rods are movable horizontally to ward and from each other insupporting guideslots 0 contained in the depending side walls B of themain platform.

Fixed upon each end of each horizontallymovable cross-rod is aneccentric D, in the form of a roll having aserrated or roughenedperipheryD, adapted to prevent the roll from cal rods S, secured attheir upper ends to the platform, with their lower ends passed looselydown through the enlarged cross-rod C the endsof the springs bearingupon the washers S These springs are compressed between the rod andplatform so long as the cross-rod is held up in the upper ends of theverticallyelongated guide-slots S in the side walls of the platform.They will be so compressed by the weight of the car as long as the carand platform are supported by the arms of the yoke; but if theactuating-cable should tions having the larger radius into engagementuntil sufficient resistance is afforded to stop the platform and car.

As the yoke-arms descend relatively to the platform the pawl P, pivotedat P in the slotaperture P Fig. 5, upon the platform and controlled byspring P slips over the teeth P on the yoke-arm and finally engages withone of them to lock the cross-rod C and eccentrics in the position shownin Fig.2. The pawl is provided above its pivot with an offset P, Fig.7,which extends beneath the floor of the car, from which point it isprojected up through an open slot in the car-floor into the car andprovided with a releasing-handle P After the cable is repaired the pawlcan be released by means of the handle and the elevator released by theusual action of the cable, the yoke,with its arms,being first raised tooperate the toggle and withdraw the eccentrics from engagement with theposts. One or more of such pawls may be employed, as desired.

It is an important element of safety that the eccentrics and car cannotbe released until the pawl is first released to permit of a relativemovement of the yoke-arms and platform, after which the weight of thecar maintains the springsbetween the platform and cross-rod O in a stateof compression, the arms holding the cross-rod up, so that theeccentrics are prevented from engaging the guide-posts so long as theplatform and car are supported by the cable; but it sometimes happensthat the cable operating or controlling mechanism becomes disabledorinopera- .tive, and while the cable affords sufficient resistance tothe downward movement of the car to maintain the springs between theplatform and cross-rod in a state of compression, yet not sufficient toprevent a dangerous movement or velocity of the car, which may be eitherin an upward or downward direction. As a means for removing this elementof danger I provide each of the yoke-arms with a movable sectionconsisting of the plate H, which I have shown in Figs. 4 and 5dovetailed into the side of the main section or arm of the yoke. Thisplate-section extends the length of the arm and is movable lengthwise onthe main section.

It will be observed that the cross-rod 0 passes through an elongatedaperture or slot 0 in the lower end of the main section, but passesthrough a closely-fitting aperture in the plate-section to permit of therelative vertical or lengthwise movement of the two sections.

At the upper end of the sections is a pin H which passes through aclose-fitting aperture in both sections, thereby preventing a relativemovement until the pin is withdrawn. As a means for withdrawing thesepins simultaneously one on each arm of the yoke I provide within the cara hand-lever H pivoted upon the arm of the yoke by a pivot or rockshaftH which passes through a verticallyelongated slot h in the wall of thecar. Fixed upon the inner end of this shaft is a handlever H and uponthe outer end a shorter lever H", to the end of which is secured a cordor cable H which passes up over the guidepulley H where it is dividedinto two strands, one passing up over the guide-pulley H and the otherover guide-pulley H the ends of the strands being respectively securedto the inner ends of the pins H By means of the hand-lever both pins canbe simultaneously withdrawn from the apertures in the platesections, andwhen the lever is released the controllingsprings H bearing at one endupon the annular flange H on the pin-shank and at the other end upon thefixed guide B, will force the pins back into the plateapertures whenthey register with the corresponding apertures in the main section.

It will be observed that the plate-sections have each a secondpin-aperture H located just above the other aperture H From theforegoing description it is apparent that if the hand-lever is operatedto withdraw the pins from the plate-sections while the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 7 the compressed springs S will immediately forcethe cross-rod 0 down into the lower ends of the slots S in the dependingwalls of the platform and down into the lower ends of the slots 0 in themain sections of the yoke-arms, forcing the plate-sections from theposition shown in Figs. 7 and 1 down to the position shown in Fig. 3,which movement actuates the toggle connections and causes the eccentricsto engage the guide-posts, as shown in said Fig. 3 and as beforeexplained, thereby stopping the car forthwith.

The pins H are forced by their controllingsprings into the upperapertures H when the plate-section has descended until such aperturesregister with the pin-apertures in the main sections of the yoke-arms,whereupon the parts are looked as before, and the car cannot be moveduntil the operator with-" draws the pins by means of the hand-lever, asbefore explained. The operator desiring e1c,e11 i 3 to start the caragain must withdraw the pins H and allow the main sections of theyokearms to pass down until the cross-rod again rests in the upper endsof the slots C and the pins H have been forced into the lowerpin-apertures in the plate-sections, where upon the parts will occupythe same relative positions as those shown-in Fig. 2, the eccentricsbeing still held in a locked position. The car can then be released byreleasing the pawl P and lifting the car, as before explained.

Fig. 8 shows the position of the parts after the car has been stopped byreleasing the plate-section H by means of the hand-lever H and Fig. 9shows the position of the parts after the main section of the yoke-armshas been lowered to the position shown in Fi g. 2, preparatory toreleasing the car.

When the car is locked against movement by means of my improvedmechanism, above described, the car, platform, and other parts aresupported directly by the eccentrics and the cross-rods to which theyare secured, the upper walls of the guide-slots C in the platform sidewalls bearing upon such rods.

When desired, the toggle connections 0 on the outer side of the sidewalls of the platform can be supplemented by a pair of similar toggleconnections 0 located between such side walls, as shown, whereby greatstrength and stability are imparted to the construction.

As a means for keeping the eccentrics in the proper position, with theirsides having the shorter radius adjacent to the guide posts A while outof active use, I provide the several shafts or cross-rods G whichsupport the eccentrics, with an upwardly-projecting arm J and connectits upper end with the lower side of the platform by means of a lightcoil-sprin g J, which will yield sufficiently to permit of the requiredrotary movements of the shafts in either direction. It is obvious thatthe eccentrics when once forced into ongagement with the guide-postswill afford equal resistance whichever way they are turned on theiraxes, so that a runaway car can with equal facility be stopped duringits upward movement by operating the handlever 1-1 The cornerguide-posts A may be made of metal, if desired, in which case theyshould be serrated or roughened on the side engaged by the eccentrics,as shown at K in Fig. I prefer, however, to make the posts of metal,with a facing K, formed of short lengths of hard wood, secured to themetal posts on the sides engaged by the eccentrics, and to make theeccentrics each of a metal sleeve or ring mounted upon a core of hardwood, as shown in Fig. 1. cl represents the metal sleeve, and cl thewooden core.

In a generic sense the yoke, its sectional arms, and the cross-rodCconstitute a carlifting frame, and as the cushion-springs between thecar and platform may be omitted, if desired, and the platform made thebottom of the car the springs S are virtually compressed between thecar-bottom and the lifting-frame and have the function of producing avertical movement of the lifting-frame relatively-to the car, andthereby operating the toggle connections and through such connectionsthe eccentrics or steps.

By the term car I wish to include a freight-car, cage, or platform, aswell as a passenger-car. The plate-sections of the yokearms of thecar-lifting frame may be termed releasingsections, because they serve torelease the spring-actuated toggle connections which directly actuatethe stops when these sections are released from the main sections bywithdrawing the pins H My improved stop mechanism engages all four ofthe corner guide-posts of the elevator-shaft.

W hen desired, the corner-posts may be reinforced to resist the thrustof the eccentrics by means of a pair of yoke-plates R, secured to theplatform B and each provided with a pair of arms embracing two of thecornerposts on that side of the elevator-shaft. The yoke-arms may beprovided each with a friction-roller Pi, adapted to engage the outerside of the corner-post, as shown in Fig. 5.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an elevator, the combination with the upright guide-postsg'thecar; and stopson the car engageable with the posts; of a car-liftingframe movable vertically relatively to the car; means for impartingvertical movements to the frame relatively to the car; a pawland-ratchetconnection between the car and frame for locking the parts in varyingposi tions; and stop actuating connections between the stops andlifting-frame, substantially as described.

2. In an elevator, the combination with the upright posts; the car; thestops on the car engageable with the posts; and a stop actuating-spring;of a main car-lifting frame; a releasing-section movable on and lockedto the main frame; and controlling the stop-actuating spring; and meanswithin the car for unlockin the releasing-section, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an elevator, the combination with the upright guide-posts, thecar; and eccentricstops on the car engageable with the posts; of meansfor bringing the stops into engage- IIO' ment with the posts andretraction-springs for controlling the rotative movements of the stops,whereby that side of each stop having the shortest radius is presentedto the post while not actively engaged, substantially as described.

v 4. In an elevator, the combination with the upright posts; the car;and stops on the car engageable with the posts; of a stop-actuat ingspring; a main car-lifting frame having a lifting projection positivelyengageable with the car; a releasing-section movable on the main frameand controlling the stop-actuating spring; means for locking thereleasingsection at each end of its path of movement; engageable withthe four posts respectively; and means Within the car for unlocking thetoggle mechanism for operating the stops and releasing-section,substantially as described. cross-rods; and operating connections be- 155. Inan elevator, thecombination with four tween the lifting-frame andseveral toggle guide-posts and the car; of a lifting-frame mechanisms,substantially as described.

movable vertically relatively to the car; com- In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set pressed springsbetween the car and liftingmy hand this8th day of February, 1898. frame; depending vertical slde Walls con-ERNEST WINTON WEST. [LI 8.]

nected to the car; a pair of cross-rods movable horizontally toward andfrom each other Witnesses:

in horizontal slots formed in said side Walls; A; B. PEAKE,

stops on the opposite ends of each cross-rod THOS. 0. WEST.

